Strategies & Information:

Public welfare is designed to provide services and support for poor, disabled, ill, elderly, or juvenile clients.

Volunteer at homeless shelters, soup kitchens, battered women homes, literacy programs, or other social service agencies to get experience.

Four out of ten social workers work for the government.

Learn about the government application process and apply early as the process can take at least four to six months.

Complete an internship with the federal government.

Area:

Criminal Justice/Corrections

Sub-Area:

Counseling/Therapy

Rehabilitation

Probation

Parole

Youth Services

Victim Assistance

Drug Prevention

Employers:

Prisons and correctional facilities

Courts

Police departments

Probation offices

Victim services organizations

Private treatment facilities

Strategies & Information:

Social workers in corrections focus on rehabilitation of clients.

Obtain experience by volunteering at a corrections facility or victims' program such as a rape crisis center.

Gain experience as a juvenile probation officer; many states allow reputable citizens to serve as volunteer officers.

Area:

School Social Work

Sub-Area:

Counseling

Case Management

Pupil Personnel Services

Student Advocacy

Instruction

Assessment

Referral

Employers:

Elementary and secondary schools

School districts

Head start centers

Early intervention programs

Strategies & Information:

School systems may employ social workers to help students cope with and resolve emotional, developmental, or educational difficulties.

Gain experience with children at daycare centers, camps, Boys and Girls Clubs, and the like.

Volunteer with organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Must obtain state certification for work in a school.

Check with each state to learn about requirements.

Area:

Clinical

Sub-Area:

Therapy

Assessment

Case Management

Employers:

Community mental health centers

Psychiatric hospitals

Behavioral health systems

Drug/alcohol rehabilitation centers

Residential and day treatment hospitals

Employee assistance programs

Schools

Family service agencies

Private practice

Strategies & Information:

Clinical social workers are found in a variety of settings that provide therapeutic counseling to clients.

Master of Social Work (MSW) is required.

Obtain licensure as an LCSW since many employers require licensure to practice.

Area:

Administration

Sub-Area:

Management

Policy Development

Planning

Supervision

Fundraising

Budgeting

Grant Writing

Employers:

Family service agencies

Child welfare departments

Social service agencies

State mental health departments

Employee assistance programs

Probation departments

Public welfare agencies

Public interest groups

Local, state, and federal government

Residential and outpatient hospitals/treatment centers

Strategies & Information:

Administrators are involved with planning, budgeting, public relations, marketing, supervising, operations management, fund raising, and other crucial responsibilities that keep an organization functioning.

Obtain an MSW and gain management experience.

Consider a minor in business during undergraduate education.

Area:

Research and Education

Sub-Area:

Research

Teaching

Grant Writing

Supervision

Employers:

Colleges and universities

Research institutes

Research hospitals

Local, state, and federal government

Advocacy organizations

Strategies & Information:

Research provides data and statistics important in program implementation and policy development.

Doctor of Social Work (DSW) or Ph.D. usually required. Some teaching and adminstration positions may be available to MSW's.

Gain research experience as an undergraduate by assisting professors with their work.

Area:

Vocational

Sub-Area:

Counseling

Education

Wellness Promotion

Organizational Development

Assessment

Human Resources

Employers:

Larger corporations

Employee assistance programs

Labor unions

Local, state, and federal government:

Department of Labor

Community agencies

Strategies & Information:

Occupational social workers help employees to be more productive and satisfied.

Gain experience in a university or community career center while in school.

Earn a relevant certification such as Certified Employee Assistance Professional or Global Career Development Facilitator.

Area:

Healthcare

Sub-Area:

Case Management

Counseling

Prevention and Education

Program Development

Administration

Research

Child Life Specialists

Hospice Care

Employers:

Hospitals

Community health centers

Outpatient clinics

Public health programs

Health maintenance organizations (HMOs)

Nursing homes

Group homes

Hospice

Veterans Administration hospitals

Home healthcare agencies

Strategies & Information:

Social workers in healthcare facilitate medical and emotional treatment of patients. They may focus on helping clients and their families cope with acute or terminal illnesses by providing pyschosocial support.

Choose volunteer settings such as hospitals, the American Red Cross, or AIDS agencies to get experience.

Gain membership in the Association of Oncology Social Work or other relevant associations.

Area:

Community Organization

Sub-Area:

Program and Community Development

Advocacy

Politics

Education

Planning

Employers:

Advocacy organizations

Development corporations

Community centers

Local, state, and federal government

Associations

Strategies & Information:

Social workers in this area work with existing organizations to improve conditions for specific groups, enhance quality of living, and involve community members in the political process.

Get involved with grassroots causes and community agencies.

Participate in local government and gain knowledge about city planning.

Area:

Gerontology

Sub-Area:

Advocacy/Intervention

Counseling

Case Management

Programming

Public Policy

Administration

Employers:

Hospitals

Nursing homes

Senior centers

Assisted living

Hospice

Home healthcare agencies

Strategies & Information:

Gerontology involves working with older adults, healthy or ill, and their families.

Get involved with programs or organizations designed for senior citizens.

Join the American Society on Aging.

Gain Social Work credentials oriented toward gerontology.

Area:

Child Welfare

Sub-Area:

Case Management

Advocacy

Intervention

Supervision

Employers:

Local, state, and federal government including:

Department of Children's Services

Public and private child welfare agencies

Adoption agencies

Foster care organizations

Child daycare

Strategies & Information:

Child welfare social workers strive to ensure the safety and well-being of children through treatment of the whole family.

Strategies & Information:

Social workers in the international arena identify social problems, make recommendations for social programs and implement change. They work on solutions to problems including educational, environmental, health, human rights injustices, business and agricultural.

Learn one or more foreign languages.

Plan to study, volunteer, or intern abroad more than one time if possible.

Seek cultural experiences on campus and get involved with the international student population.

Join relevant student organizations such as Amnesty International and gain leadership roles.

Participate in an international service learning experience or go on a mission trip.

Learn about federal job hiring procedures, and apply for a government internship to increase chances of finding a full-time position.

Research the international organization's/agency's structure and function.